Dirigible locomotive headlight



'Au .30,1938.' 3 W v I 2,128,765

DIRIGIBLE LOCOMQTIVE HEADLIGHT Filed Aug. 22, 1936 Patented Aug. 3Q,1Q38 PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

In use of dirigible headlights for locomotives it has been customary toemploy center connections which have been attended by lost motion in thejoints, especially by reason of wear on the pivot 5 pin, thus lesseningthe effectiveness of the dirigible mechanism. Furthermore, it has beenfound necessary in the use of center connection dirigible headlights touse an extra set of pony wheels because of the inaccessibility of thepivot pin 10 beneath the locomotive. In addition the center connectionlies in the path of movement of the locomotive clean out doors.

It is the object of this invention to provide dirigible headlightmechanism of simple construc- 15 tion which may be attached to standardlocomotives and operated by movement of the pony wheel truck, motionbeing transmitted from the truck to the light by suitable means locatedon the opposite side of the locomotive, thereby obtaining a direct andpositive movement of the headlight corresponding to the arc of movementof the pony wheel truck.

It is further within the contemplation of my invention to include lightcentering means in the 25 dirigible mechanism to normally hold the lightcentered as well as return the light to a center position in the eventof failure of the dirigible mechanism.

In the accompanying drawing:

30 Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of dirigible mechanism constructedin accordance with the present invention illustrating its application.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the 35 dirigible mechanism perse. I

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 ofFig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing to advantagethe manner of mounting the headlight bracket.

40 Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary sectional view of one of the sideconnections of the dirigible mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional side elevational View of a modifiedform of connection 45 between the dirigible mechanism and the ponytruck, and

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view thereof.

In the drawing to illustrate the application of this invention, I haveshown a portion of a loco- 50 motive 8 of standard construction, whichincludes a pony truck 9, pivotally connected at I 0 to a portion of thefront of the locomotive frame in a manner well known in the art. Thedirigible mechanism includes a headlight supporting shelf 5 II fixedlysecured at any suitable point on the (Cl. Mil-62.1)-

front or top of the locomotive boiler. The shelf has pivotally mountedthereon, as indicated at I2,

a plate I3. Roller bearings I I are mounted in complemental recesses inthe shelf II which engage the bottom face of the plate I3. vA headlight5 housing I5 is engaged with the plate I3 in any suitable manner.

In order that the headlight may follow the arc of movement of the ponytruck 9, I provide suitable connections between the plate I3 and the 10truck 9, which connections are generally designated I6. Theseconnections may consist of levers I'I, one end of each of which isfixedly secured tothe plate I3, the opposite end being pivotally engagedwith a link I 8. It will be noted, especially upon reference to Fig. 1of the drawing, that the levers I'I lie in a horizontal plane, while thelinks I8 depend vertically therefrom. The links it are sleeved in theupper ends of bars I9, the lower end of each of the latter beingbifurcated, as indicated at 20, the branches of the bifurcationstraddling and being pivotally engaged to the upper end of a standard2|. The lower end of the standard, in the form of invention shown inFigures 1 to 5, is fixedly secured, as shown at 22, to the side of thetruck frame at the front end of the latter. By this arrangement allvertical and lateral movement of the mechanism is taken care of withoutstress on any part of the mechanism.

In the form of invention shown in Figures 6 and '7 of the drawing, eachof said standards 2I' is engaged with a stub shaft 23 secured to theside of one of the pony wheels at the axis of the latter. Suitableanti-friction rollers are interposed between the standard 2 I and thestub shaft.

It will be apparent from the above that arcuate movement of the ponytruck is positively and directly transmitted to the locomotiveheadlight, the beam of the headlight being at all times in the 40 pathof movement of the pony truck.

To prevent the possibility of the headlight failing to return to acenter position in the event of failure of any part of the dirigiblemechanism, I provide automatic headlight centering means, generallydesignated 24. This mechanism may consist of a semi-circular rod 25,secured to the plate I3, the free ends thereof being trained throughbrackets 26 mounted on the shelf II. Springs 21 are mounted on the rod25 between the brackets 26 and nuts 28. The nuts 28 are threaded on therod 25 and may be adjusted to take up wear in the springs 21 in anapparent manner, the nuts being held from casual movement by cotter pinsor the like. By this arrange- While I have herein described thepreferred" forms of this invention, I am aware that various changes maybe made therein, especially in the details of construction, within thescope of the claim herewith appended.

What is claimed is:

In a dirigible headlight for locomotives, standards one end of each ofwhich is connected with each side of the locomotive truck and extendsupwardly at the side of the latter, bars pivotally engaged with theupper ends of standards, links slidably mounted in the upper ends ofsaid bars and levers one end of each of which is pivotally connected toone of said links and the opposite ends fixedly engaged with theheadlight, said standards, bars, links and levers being spaced from andfree from engagement with the locomotive.

JOSEPH S. WING.

